Umbrella support



Nov. 27, 1934. c. c. HARRls UMBRELLA SUPPORT Filed Jan. 20, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 27, 1934. Q C, HARRlS 1,982,097

UMBRELLA SUPPORT Filed Jan. 20, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ////?///2/;'/f/f//f//////7f////////////////////////// aar-x47) Patented Nov. 27, 1934 UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application January 20,

4 Claims.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a convenient back for use on the beach and similar places which also can be used as a safety float on the water and will be so light that it can easily be thrown out on the water for the assistance of any person in case of accident and can be carried around conveniently and readily; not being as heavy as an ordinary float of the same size; to provide means whereby a shade for protecting the user from the sun or rain and having a single stick can be attached to the beach back and secured in any adjustment desired; to provide means whereby the adjustments can be made at an angle about an axis and the shade can be placed on either side so that it will have sufficient range of movement to protect the face of the user from the sun, no matter what its angle, said adjustment being secured by a very simple and almost instantaneous operation; to provide iiap which can be closed to constitute a pocket forY the shade or other articles which it is desired to use on the beach and can also be used as a cloth seat spread out on the sand; to provide means whereby the pivoted back strut which supports the back in inclined position can be folded up into the compass of the back and held there so that the whole device can be transported very easily.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a beach back constructed in accordance with this invention, shown folded up and in proper condition for being carried around;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the device expanded and in position for use as a beach back with the shade also in position, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on enlarged scale showing the way of folding and adjusting the shade.

The beach back is shown in a form resembling my prior Patent No. 1,867,507, granted July 12, 1932 on an application Serial No. 516,380, iiled February 17, 1931. The beach back is made up of a body of Balsa wood or other light floating 50 material l0 through which pass cross rods 11. The number of these cross rods is not a feature of this invention. They extend through the Balsa wood or the like and are held at their ends by wooden side pieces 12.

Rigid longitudinal handles 14 are formed by 1932, Serial No. 587,734

wooden strips or rods secured to cleats along the outside of the side pieces, preferably by means of wooden pegs, as in the above identified patent. The body of Balsa wood can be made in one or more pieces and is covered by a covering of canvas 16 or other textile material, the ends of which are secured together. The side pieces 12 are wider than the buoyant material 10 so that if the device is drawn along the sand the canvas will not come in contact with it.

In order to fit the device for use as a back, a cross rod l1 has pivoted to it two struts 19 which are secured together by a cross piece 13 to make it a rigid frame. When folded, these rods 13 come j in between the extreme ends of side pieces l2 and the struts 19 come just inside the side pieces along one edge, recesses being made for the struts along one side.

On a springy wooden rod 17 is xed a wooden latch 18 beveled at the end and having an open slot in the other end. The slot receives one of the cross rods 11. As the rod 17 is springy, this latch can move longitudinally. When the struts are moved inwardly to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, the resiliency and yielding of the rods 17 allows the latch to pass over the rod 13 and spring back to lock the parts in position. To release the struts they are merely pulled outwardly against the latch which will yield on account of the way in which it is mounted. When locked as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is no danger of the struts or strut frame being accidentally freed from the rest of the device and it is closed up so that it can be transported very easily. For this purpose a handle 2O is provided constituting a bar connecting the two side pieces 12 and adding to the strength of the device and having a handle hold 21 spaced materially from the buoyant material 10 so that the device can f be carried as a single rigid piece by grasping this 95 hand hold.

The side pieces 12 are extended beyond this handle and each one is provided with a transverse perforation through which passes a screw 22, preferably of wood, and having a handle 23 by which it can be tightened and loosened. Each screw threads into a nut 24 which is shown as hemispherical. This nut is provided with a practically radial recess 25 into which the end of the handle 26 of an umbrella or parasol 27 is adapted to be inserted. The only thing necessary to secure the shade 27 in fixed position is to tighten up the screw 22. One of these is located on each side piece. They can be located on the inside as shown or turned around and located on the 1`10 outside without any special trouble, thus providing for an extension in the range of the shade 27. When it is desired to change the position of the shade, the screw 22 is loosened, the shade merely turned, also the nut 24, and then the screw tightened up. By having such a wide range of movement at each side and the possibility of placing the nuts on the opposite or outer side of the side pieces 12, it will be seen that the shade has anextremely wide range of motion which is practically universal. It can protect the user from the sun coming from any direction. -Of course, ordinarily this is intended to protect the face only.

On the front of the device and preferably` in` the form of a continuous .end on the canvas or the like 16 is a flap 30 which is provided with straps 31 which are attached by quickly .dee tachable fastening devices 32 to the extreme end or top of the back. When attached as Yshown in Figs. 1 and 2, this flap constitutes apocket for theshade 27, towels, bath slippers, cr `any other thing which the user may desire to carry around with the beach back. On the other hand, when in use as shown in Fig. 4, this-'.ap may be disconnected frcm the top of the back and spread out on the sand to protect the user from the sand and thus furnish a seat on the sand.

This constitutes a very simple and light beach back which can be combined with the shade in an extremely simple and convenient manner and which carries all its parts as a single unit. Furthermore, thebeach back can 'be used as a float or life preserver and the handles 14 are of .utility in that connection and also for the purpose of enabling the user toy throw it out into the water in case of emergency.. Some features of this invention can also be applied to a beach chair.

Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the invention, I am aware of the fact thatV modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I, do not 'wish` to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, 'but what I claim is:--`

1. An article of manufacture comprising coii-y i nected two side pieces, one of said side pieces being perforated at a point nearthe top, a screw passing through the perforation from either side, and a nut fitting against the side piece and receiving the screw, said nut having a recess therein receiving the end of a handle of a shade, whereby the shade can be angularly adjusted by loosening the screw and adjusting the nut and held in fixed position by, tightening the screw.

2. An article of manufacture comprising par- -allel side pieces, means for connecting the side pieces together each of said side piecesA having a perforation, a screw passing through one of said ',perforationsy ya nut on said screw, whereby the nut can be turned and the screw tightened up to `hold it in fixed position, and a shade having a single `central staff, the nut having a radial inclined recess into which the end of said staff fits for holding the shade in angularly adjusted positions.

3. An article of manufacture `comprising parallel connected side pieces, each ofsaid side pieces having a perforation near the top, a screw passing through one of said perforations in either direction, a nut on'said screw, whereby the nut can fitting against the support and receiving the screw, said nut `having a recess therein located at an acute angle tothe axis of said screw for the end `of a vhandle of a shade, Vwhereby theshade can be angularly adjusted by loosening'the screw 'tute the sole support for holding.

and adjusting the ynut and held in -iixed position 1 by tightening the-screw.

' v CARL C. HARRIS. 

